Wheeled toy.



R. P. EDWARDS. WHEELED oY. APPLICATION FILED'FEB. 12 i917.

Patnte Api. 9, 1918.

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, 5.- WITNEVSSES y ATTORNEY RUSSELL P. EDWARDS, OF HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN.

WHEELED TOY.

Specitlcaton of Letters Patent.

Pateateaapr. e, isis.

. Application led February 12, 1917. Serial No. 148,183.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be'it known that I, RUSSELL P. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Wayne and State of -Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheeled Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to-improveinents in toys and more particularly to wheeled motor propelled toys.

The object of the invention is to provide cheaply constructed, light toy of this character which is designed especially for the amusement of small children.

This invention consists in the matters.

hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended c alms.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance with this invention,

',Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof with the body shoWnby the dotted lines.

In the embodiment illustrated a driving shaft or axle 1 'is shown having wheels 2 and 3 fixed to its opposite ends, said Wheels being preferably composed of sheet metal such as tin and the like to adapt the device to be cheaply constructed. These wheels are preferably constructed out of'tinv disks with cut-out portions 4 formed therein to lighten the structure and with their peripheral edges bent to form tread lflanges An elongated U-shaped frame 6, braced intermediatel of its ends by cross bars 7, has the free en s or terminals of the legs thereof loosely engaged with the shaft 1 by any suitable means. A cross bar 8 preferably connects and braces the free ends of this frame 6 as is shown clearly in Fig. 3.

Adjustably mounted on thev cross bar 9 of the rear end of frame 6 is a wheel carrying member 10 which is here shown substantially heart-shaped in form with a small wheel 11 rotatably -'oounted thereon, and with the apex of said heart connected with the cross bar 9 of frame 6 to move lateraly in either direction, and to be secured in a justed position by means of a bolt 12 and nut 13, the mem er 10 being clamped be tween the nut 13 and the upper face of the cross bar 9 as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. lt will thus be seen that this wheel 11 which spring motor which operates as a guide for directing the course of the toy may be shifted laterally to one side or the other of the longitudinal axis of frame 6 and secured in position by ti htao ening the nut 13 or it may be positione in a straight line therewith as shown in Fig. .y This heart-shaped Wheel carrying frame or member 10 is preferably curved longitudinally downward as shown in Figs. 1 and 65 :2, and frame 6 is also shown slightly curved longitudinally although it need not necessarily be so formed, provided its front end be disposed in a plane below axle 1.

A body 14A is mounted on the frame 6 70 and held thereto by any suitable means and may be used for holding articles to be conf.

Vveyed from one place to the other or for any purpose for which it may be desired. This body 14 is also shown curved' longi- 75 tudinally to conform to the curvature of frame 6, and when it is employed for holding ballast for retaining the` wheel 11 in engagement with the surface over which the device is propelled the weight'of said bal` 80 last will be belovT the plane of the axle 1, and the force thereof will be used to' assist in knocking down or upsetting any article or articles which may be disposed in the path of the toy, it being especially designed 8F as a battle ship 0r battering ram for knockin down toy soldiers, buildings and the like.

, his toy is preferably propelled by, a.'

is here shown in the form of a spiral spring 15 mounted on one 90/ side of the frame 6 and which is designed to be wound up by a key (not shown) and to exert its propelling force in unwinding for driving the toy which is accomplished through means of a gear 16 mounted on the 95 spring casing and revoluble therewith and which meshes with a smaller gear 17 mounted on a stub shaft 18 which projects laterally from the side of the framel 6. This ear 17 meshes with a pinion 19 fixed to the 10a shaft 1 so that when the spring lunwinds it will operate to rotate shaft 1 through said gears 16 and 17 and the pinion 19, thereby` rapidly propelling the wheels 2 and 3 of. the toy, so that when it comes in contact? 1,05 with an obstructing object consider/able'force will be exerted thereby, suiiicieit to overturn small objects such as4 toy soldiers, and the like.

From the above description it will be oblic vious that this toy may be cheaply made and easily operated, and that -its impelling .Y

Vforce may be utilized for any purpose other than that above mentioned, and that the weight of any articles'carried by the body 14v will operate to hold the toyin contact with the surface over which it is driven.

When it is desired that the device shall travel in a circle or in a curved path the wheel l1 is moved`r laterally to one side or the other .according to the direction in which it is desired sai'd toy shall move and secured in said position by means above described.

It will be understood that the above description and the accompanying drawings comprehend yonly the general vand preferred embodiment of the invention and that various minor changes in details of construct10n, proportion or arrangement of the parts ends of its legs loosely engaged with said shaft, a body carried by said frame and curved to conform. to the curvature thereof memes -with one end' disposed over said driving shaft and the other positioned in a plane below it, a rearwardly extending downwardly curved member mounted for lateral adjustment on the cross bar yof said U- shaped frame, a guiding wheel carried by said member,` and means for propelling said vehicles.y

2. A toy of the class described comprising a driving shaft,'a pair of wheels iXed to opposite ends of said shaft, anV elongated U-shaped body supportingframe having the free ends thereof loosely engaged with said shaft between said wheels, a body carried by said frame and having its rear ends disposed in a plane below said shaft, a substantially heart-shaped member having its apex pivotally mounted on the cross bar of said frame, a wheel mounted to turn between the lobes of said heart-shaped frame, and propelling means connected with the driving shaft.

In testimony whereof l aiiiX-rny signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL?, P. EDlWARDS." 

